'American Horror Story' Casts Michael Chiklis Who Knows a Thing or Two About Playing Freaks

After getting a creepy new location, American Horror Story: Freak Show cast Michael Chiklis to play the father of Evan Peters' character and the ex-husband of Kathy Bates' character. Chiklis, primarily known for his role in the TV show The Shield, hasn't been in a whole lot of acting roles, usually instead lending his voice to animated ventures like Robot Chicken, Spirited Away, and Family Guy.

“I can't think of a better way than to come back to my home network than to join this magnificent cast," Chiklis said after being introduced at the PaleyFest panel for AHS. "It's insane how many incredible actors are in this cast."

Chiklis knows something about playing a freak, and can draw upon his role as Ben Grimm (a.k.a The Thing) in The Fantastic Four for inspiration. After donning the rock-ladden prosthetic suit, probably any freak he's playing in AHS will seem like small potatoes. "I can’t tell you how badly I wanted out of that costume, especially after some days being inside it for 12 hours," Chiklis said of his role at the time. "It drains you in a way that’s difficult to explain to anyone unless they’ve gone through something like it."

Though the show doesn't have a set premiere yet, as news of casting decisions continue we're sure to get a date soon, and we can't wait to see the creepy take on the carnival come to life.